Your oncologist considers these issues when determining which treatment options may benefit you and whether you can tolerate treatment. Before therapy, patients have to sign consent forms that list every potential side effect—many of which are very rare but still quite scary. Your doctor can tell you which ones you may be more likely to experience. Researchers have also worked hard to reduce the toxicity of some drugs. Medications to prevent nausea and vomiting in those patients who experience it have also improved over the years.
Chemotherapy drugs are sometimes used in combination with other innovative treatment options, such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy. In patients whose cancer exhibits certain genomic mutations, immunotherapy sometimes with and sometimes without chemotherapy may keep their cancer in check on a long-term basis—almost as if it were a chronic illness like type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
Evidence-informed supportive care therapies are designed to prevent and manage side effects a patient may experience during conventional cancer treatment. Patients at CTCA have access to these types of therapies, which we call integrative care , as part of our whole-person approach to cancer care. Examples of care we provide include:.
Having access to a supportive care team to create a plan, answer questions and be on call to provide help as needed may significantly improve your treatment experience. Patients are sometimes reluctant to ask questions, but I tell my patients that any question is an important question when it comes to their cancer care. Oncologists deal with cancer every day, but it's all new to the patient.
Getting your questions answered will help you make informed decisions about your care. Think about your questions before your appointment. Write them down and bring them with you. Some cancer treatments sound scary. Other nonprofit cancer organizations may also be able to assist you in making these types of connections. If you start chemotherapy and your experience is different from what you expected, talk to your care team.
They may be able to make changes that help you. Chemotherapy can be challenging, but there are strategies and tools your care team can offer to help you through your journey. The chemo nurses are brilliant and they will take very good care of you. I had radiotherapy every day for 4 weeks. Again tiredness featured quite heavily but so did soreness.
Again I was well looked after and was given cream to gently put on and was also advised to use a fan. I used to strip off - position the fan- lie on the bed with the fan going full pelt and it was gloriolus!!!!! It really cooled my skin down. The only problem I really had was when I had a build up of fluid from my operation and the radiotherapy unfortunately did add to it as well. They did a needle aspiration which was very quick and painless and drew the fluid off.
I had this done twice. Again I was well looked after. I live in Scotland and have Follicula Non Hodgkins Lymphoma which was diagnosed just over three years ago and the time from CT scan, talking to my Oncologist and starting chemo was less than a week so I had very little time to be scared.
It seemed like it was happening to some one else, not to me. My ideas about chemo were firmly formed from watching older American movies where the heroine has cancer, chemo and then dies! The first shock was the amount of tablets that came home on top of the chemo, I seemed to do nothing but swallow tablets, but they did keep a lot of the side effects under control.
I think the tiredness and general weakness that increased over the cycles stand out in my mind. Also the numbness up to my knees, I still have numb feet. I was very sick during cycle three so they gave me my anti-sickness intravenously after that which worked much better.
Although I was given a wig and told I would lose all my hair, I kept just enough to look nearly normal, I was quite trumphant about that and not needing to use the wig.
Is Chemotherapy really that bad? Well it is unpleasant and I found it pretty hard, but not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
The hospital staff were wonderful and so kind, I don't think I have ever had quite so much fuss made of me, and when you get to the end and get the ALL CLEAR, the memories of the hard times begin to fade. We are all different and different drugs affect people in different ways, but my advice is tell the medics if things are bad, they are not psychic, so won't know things are difficult if you don't tell them.
Above all, stay away from those old American movies! This is a very useful and helpful post for me. I am about to start my chemo on Monday! Is there anyone else out there who had radio at the same time? That will probably start during my second cycle. Most people seem to have it after they finish chemo, so I am really worried about the combined effects of having both at the same time. They will give you medication, tell you how to manage common side effects, and offer information such as:.
Avoid people with colds or other infections. Chemotherapy weakens your body's immune system. Your immune system helps fight infections. Drink lots of fluids for 48 hours after chemotherapy. This helps move the drugs through your body. Before you leave your first treatment, be sure to ask who you should call with any questions or concerns and how to contact them, including after hours or weekends.
Physical, Emotional, and Social Effects of Cancer. These printable PDFs provide an introduction to chemotherapy, answers to common questions, terms to know, and questions to ask the doctor.
Who is on my chemotherapy team? Your team may include these health care professionals: Medical oncologist. Their responsibilities can include: Giving physical examinations Ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic test results Prescribing and administering medications and other therapies, including chemotherapy Providing education and counseling for patients and families Oncology nurse. Oncology nurses can also: Answer questions about treatment Monitor your health during treatment Help you manage side effects of treatment Other health care professionals.
These professionals include: Pharmacists Social workers Registered dietitian nutritionists Physical therapists Dentists Learn more about the oncology team. What happens before chemotherapy? Signing this form means: Your team gave you information on your treatment options. You choose to have chemotherapy. You give permission for health care professionals to deliver the treatment.
You understand that the treatment is not guaranteed to give the intended results. How should I plan for chemotherapy treatments? There are steps you can take before treatment begins to help you cope. What happens during chemotherapy treatment? Before your treatment starts, you will: Have a blood sample taken Meet with your oncologist so they can check your health and blood test results Meet the nurse or other health professionals who will give your treatment Have your blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and temperature taken before starting treatment Have your height and weight measured to find the right dose of chemotherapy May have an IV tube, also called a catheter, put in your arm Some people receive chemotherapy through a port.
What happens after IV chemotherapy ends? They will give you medication, tell you how to manage common side effects, and offer information such as: Avoid people with colds or other infections. Whether there are activities to do or avoid doing on future treatment days. Questions to ask the health care team Who is creating my chemotherapy treatment plan?
How often will the plan be reviewed? Which health care professionals will I see at every treatment session? How will I receive chemotherapy treatments? Will I need a port? Will I need any tests or scans before this treatment begins? Can you describe what my first treatment will be like?
How long will each treatment session take? Will I need someone to drive me home after each session? How often will I have chemotherapy? How are chemotherapy drugs usually given? Does chemotherapy hurt? What are the most common side effects of chemotherapy? Am I going to lose my hair? Am I going to feel sick all the time? Will I be able to have children? How long will I need chemotherapy? Topics Chemotherapy Hair Loss. Read More by Cynthia DeMarco.
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